Exhaust fume eliminator and fuel economizer for carbureted fuel engines



May 26, 1970 s'. E. HARRIS 3,514,083

EXHAUST FUME ELIMINATOR AND FUEL ECONOMIZER FOR CARBURETED FUEL ENGINES Filed Oct. 9. 1968 n al n in ML 31% a -T116 7 INVENT OR United States Patent EXHAUST FUME ELINIINATOR AND FUEL ECONOMIZER FOR CARBURETED FUEL ENGINES Stanley E. Harris, Box 363, Titonka, Iowa 50480 Filed Oct. 9, 1968, Ser. No. 766,064 Int. Cl. F0211! 5/08 US. Cl. 26169 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A device to prevent much of the obnoxious fumes presently being emitted by carbureted liquid fuel engines when the throttle is closed down; the device having a secondary effect of saving fuel; the device comprising a tubular body connected at one end to the carburetor throat on the engine side of the throttle valve, the device being connected at its midportion to the otherwise unvented carburetor float chamber, the body containing the working mechanism.

This invention relates generally to devices for eliminating the exhaust fumes from carbureted liquid fuel engines.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a device for preventing much of the obnoxious fumes presently emitted by carbureted liquid fuel engines when the throttle is closed down.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for eliminating exhaust fumes, and which has a secondary effect of causing a considerable saving in the fuel used.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide an exhaust fuel eliminator which will stop the fuel flow as with fuel injection and diesel engines, when the throttle is closed, thus stopping the cause of atmospheric contamination.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide in exhaust fume eliminator and fuel economizer which is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged in construction, easy to use and eflicient in operation.

These and other objects will be readily evident upon a study of the following specification and the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of an exhaust fume eliminator; and

FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of an automatic carburetor fuel shut off device which is to be used in conjunction with the exhaust fume eliminator and fuel economizer.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, and more particularly to FIG. 1 thereof, the reference numeral represents an exhaust fume eliminator and fuel economizer according to the present invention wherein there is a tubular body 11 having one end 12 which is connected to the carburetor throat of the engine side of the throttle valve. Along a mid portion of the tube 11, there is a sidewardly extending tube 13 for connection into the otherwise unvented carburetor float chamber, placed as distantly above the surface of the fuel as conveniently possible and preferably shielded from the fuel.

At the opposite end of the tube 11, there is an opening into which a removable sleeve 14 is placed, the sleeve having an outwardly flared flange or lip 15 at its terminal end so to prevent the end of the sleeve from sliding further into the body 11. The flange 15 further provides a means to allow the entire mechanism 16 to be withdrawn from the body. The sleeve has an inwardy turned flange 17 at its opposite end against which one end of a compression coil spring 18 bears pressure, the opposite end of the compression coil spring bearing pres- 3,514,083 Patented May 26, 1970 sure against an outwardly extending flange 19 at one end of a movable valve 20, the spring thus normally holding the valve from closing against the sleeve 14. The movable valve 20 includes a longitudinal tube 21 contained within the spring 18, the tube having a series of openings 22 arranged in a circle around the tube and near one end thereof which is adjacent the flange 19. The tubular part acts as a guide or stem for the flat part of the valve.

A piston 23 having a good dry sliding fit in the tubular body 11 has a sliding sleeve 24 therewithin and upon which the piston is able to move a certain amount limited by a flange 25 at one end of the sleeve 24, and restrained by a determined amount of force from a compression coil spring 26 between the sleeve 24 and piston 23. One end of the spring 26 bears against an inwardly turned flange 27 of the piston 23, the opposite end of the spring 26 bearing against a cup 28 secured to one end of a threaded rod 29 by means of a button 30, the rod 29 extending through threaded bosses 31 and 32 at each end of the sleeve 24, the rod extending through a central opening in an end wall 33 on the end of the movable valve, the rod 29 extending outwardly thereof and having an adjustment knob 34 afiixed thereto.

Vents 35 and 36 at each end of the bypass tube 37 communicate with the tube 11.

In operative use, when the engine is pulling under more or less load, the movable valve 20 is held open by the spring 18 which allows atmosphere to enter the float chamber of the carburetor, and fuel to flow into the manifold through jets as demanded. But when the engine throttle is closed quickly, creating abnormally high vacuum in the intake manifold, the piston 23 is moved by the excessive vacuum toward the manifold so as to first close atmospheric pressure entrance valve 20 and then start opening the vent 36, allowing vacuum to exhaust air from the carburetor float chamber, which will withhold fuel from carburetor jets so that none will pass into the intake manifold. To prevent too high vacuum in the float chamber pulling fuel past the float valve and into the manifold through the bypass, the piston 23 slides against adjustable pressure of the spring 26, more or less closing the manifold end of the bypass vent 35, according to the positioning of the piston 23 upon the sleeve 24 by means of the threaded rod 29 and the adjustment of a lock nut or said screw 38 upon the knob 34.

The present exhaust fume eliminator and fuel economizer, above described, has an automatic carburetor fuel shut off 39 used in conjunction therewith. The automatic carburetor fuel shut off automatically prevents the flow of fuel from the supply tank through the comparatively weak float valve when the exhaust fume eliminator and fuel economizer opens the carburetor float chamber to the comparatively high vacuum of the intake manifold during rapid deceleration, the carburetor fuel shut off being inserted between the carburetor float valve and the incoming fuel line. The fuel line is connected to intake tube 40 at one end of a housing 41 containing the mechanism 42. The mechanism includes a valve seat 43, a valve 44 normally held away from the seat 43 by a compression coil spring 45 as shown. A toggle lever 46 is hinged at points 47, 48 and 49. The number 47 could represent a ball and socket, if preferred. A cylindrical housing 50 is connected to one side of the housing 41 by means of bolts 51. A diaphragm 52 is held between flanges on the housings 41 and 50 connected by the bolts 51, the diaphragm being positioned by a compression coil pring 53 bearing at its one end against a shoulder 54 of the housing 50. A rod 55 connected to the center of the diaphragm at its one end is connected at its opposite end to the hinge 48 of the toggle 46. An opening 56 in the 3 housing 50 represents a vacuum intake connected to the tube 13 of the exhaust fume eliminator and fuel economizer 10. A bumper 57 prevents the valve 44 from moving too far during opening. Number 58 represents an outlet tube; while number 59 represents a screen or;

perforated cup fitted into housing 41.

In operative use, the opening 56 is also connected to the carburetor float chamber through its connection to tube 13. When a vacuum is produced at opening 56, the diaphragm 52 is pulled against the spring 53, which in turn pulls the rod 55, thus straightening the toggle 46 and forcing the valve 44 against the seat 43, thereby preventing any fuel from entering the float chamber through the float valve of the carburetor and being sucked backward through the device into the intake manifold. This is to prevent the high vacuum introduced into the carburetor float chamber from pulling fuel past the regular float valve which is designed only for atmospheric pressure of about fifteen pounds per square inch, while the manifold vacuum which is admitted to the float chamber by the exhaust fume eliminator and fuel economizer device can rise to approximately twenty six or twenty seven pounds per square inch.

While various changes may be made in the detailed construction, it is to be understood that such changes will be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as is defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an exhaust fume eliminator and fuel economizer the combination of an elongated tube having one end connected to a carburetor throat on the engine side of a throttle valve, a sidewardly extending sleeve along a mid portion thereof, said sleeve being connected to the otherwise unvented carburetor float chamber, the opposite end of the said tubular body having an opening receiving a sleeve, one end of said sleeve extending outwardly of said tubular body and having an outwardly turned flange to prevent further introduction of said sleeve into said tubular body, the opposite end of said sleeve having an inwardly turned flange against which one end of a compression coil spring bears, the opposite end of said compression coil spring bearing against an outwardly turned flange at one end of a moving valve centrally positioned within said compression coil spring, said end of said movable valve having an end wall thereacross and a plurality of openings arranged in a circular pattern around a tubular portion of said movable valve, an opening in said end wall of said movable valve, a threaded rod extending through said opening and having a knob secured thereto upon the outer side of said movable valve, said threaded rod extending into a piston carried within said 1 of said piston, thereby preventing complete movement of said sleeve into said piston, and said tubular body having a pair of spaced apart vents along the length thereof which are interconnected by a bypass tube.

2. The combination as set forth in claim 1 wherein said exhaust fume eliminator and fuel economizer includes an automatic carburetor fuel shut off comprising a housing having an intake port at one end, a valve seat in said intake port, a valve slidable against said seat, and normally retained in open position relative thereto by a compression coil spring, a sidewardly extending housing connected to the first said housing, said housings having outwardly turned flanges which are interconnected together by means of bolts, said flanges having a flexible diaphragm secured at its periphery therebetween, said secondhousing having an opening thereinto, said opening communicating with said tube extending sidewardly on said exhaust fume eliminator and fuel economizer, and said opening further communicating with the carburetor float chamber, a compression coil spring bearing at one end against said diaphragm and at its opposite end to a shoulder on said second housing, one end of a rod connected centrally to said diaphragm, the opposite end of said rod being connected to a hinge having a pair of arms hingedly secured thereto, one of said arms at its opposite end being hingedly connected to said valve, the opposite said arm being connected at its opposite end to a screen providing access from the first said housing to an outlet port, said rod and arms comprising a toggle lever.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,229,851 1/ 1941 Hulford 261-72 2,742,270 4/ 1956 McClain.

3,080,858 3/1963 Kane.

3,336,012 8/ 1967 Walker.

TIM R. MILES, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 

